Chapter 75: Rumble Stage Day 2 (1)

The MSI format involves two teams emerging from the minor region gauntlet and four teams from major regions, all competing in best-of-one matches.

The four surviving teams then advance to a best-of-five bracket stage to determine the winner.

What I’m trying to say is…

‘It’s best-of-one, so losing once is possible, but…’

Upsets happen in best-of-one matches, like what happened to us.

“Are we going to pack our bags and go home without even playing a best-of-five series!? Our remaining matches are against major region teams!”

After the defeat, the coach’s impassioned feedback in the waiting room continued relentlessly.

Of course, knowing we could lose and actually losing are two different things.

The Japanese team that beat us today was our so-called scrim buddy.

We hadn’t considered them a major threat and exposed several strategies during scrims.

For them, it was a chance to scrim against a strong team, so we thought it was a win-win.

The problem was…

‘They hid those picks.’

Knowing our preference for tank top laners, they picked Behin top and Ivern jungle.

Even if Park Jin-hwan knows how to mitigate damage, it wasn’t an easy matchup to endure, and the game ended with the top lane snowball.

“How are they so good at Behin?”
“He used to be an ADC main, then switched roles.”
“But he switched lanes over three years ago. I never imagined they’d prepare Behin top.”
“His lane management was also good. When I roamed, he just kept the wave frozen near the tower for like three minutes.”

‘My pick was also a mistake.’

Underestimating them, I picked Aurelion Sol, a champion I wouldn’t normally use.

True to Aurelion Sol’s nature, I couldn’t exert much influence in the early game and failed to turn things around.

“Ugh… those sneaky Japs.”

“We underestimated them. Even if they’re from a minor region, they’re improving, and they made it through the gauntlet.”

“That’s true. Last year, they even beat the North American team, although it was their third seed.”

They had been preparing for us, hiding their picks with the confidence that they would advance.

We, on the other hand, expected them to be eliminated early on and didn’t show them enough respect, which led to our downfall.

“The next match is VXG versus KN.”

Since the Rumble Stage had three matches per day, the next match began immediately after ours ended.

LPL’s VXG versus KN from Brazil, a survivor of the minor region gauntlet.

This match was also expected to be a one-sided affair, a major region versus a minor region.

Unlike us, VXG secured a clean victory, marking a strong start.

---

“Hello! Greeting you from MSI Day 2! Caster Kim Dong-jin!”

“And it’s us again today! Commentator Yoo Seung-hwan!”

[Is ARK eliminated?]

[It’s okay to lose up to three times in the Rumble Stage.]

[ARK <<< Upvote if they have to swim home lol]

[Agreed]

“Today’s first match features ARK, representing the LCK.”

“Although they lost to TXG yesterday, in the Rumble Stage, accumulating wins is more important than avoiding losses.”

“They just need to win from now on!”

“That’s right. They need to string together victories. Today’s opponent is the king of the LEC, PG.”

[How can they beat PG lol]

[Seriously, they lost to TXG; how are they going to beat PG?]

[PG is traditionally strong at MSI.]

“The team that blocked VXG’s golden road last year and the reigning MSI champions.”

“Rumor has it they’re looking very strong this season as well.”

“Indeed. Their clean victory over their traditional rivals, North America, in under 25 minutes yesterday was impressive.”

[PG matches are always entertaining.]

[Seriously, I’m curious to see their draft.]

[Everyone else is playing Aphelios Zeri, and they suddenly pull out Senna Lissandra and carry; it’s absurd.]

[There’s romance in the LEC’s drafts…]

“Let’s move on to the draft!”

“As a team representing the LEC, the league of creativity, they often show interesting things in the draft.”

“Like the Senna Lissandra from yesterday?”

“Exactly. ARK, in the blue side with first pick, goes for Lucian.”

“With enchanter supports nerfed, Lucian Nami’s tier has risen relatively high.”

“But hyper carry ADCs are still strong, aren’t they?”

“They can be paired with Tahm Kench or Rakan, but Lucian Nami’s lane dominance is so strong that they opted for the first pick.”

[They sent Lulu to the grave, but why is Nami still alive?]

[Riot must be mermaid fans.]

[If you’re Korean, let’s cheer for ARK!]

“PG responds with a standard Senna Tahm Kench.”

“The Lissandra pick from yesterday was a bit extreme, and honestly, against Lucian Nami, Tahm Kench, who can provide a front line, is much more appealing.”

“ARK picks Nami for their support and Viego for jungle.”

“PG’s remaining picks are… Wukong. He’s a strong carry jungler, and with Senna’s sustain, Wukong becomes a very scary champion.”

[Para’s pick will be crucial.]

[Para picked Aurelion Sol yesterday and got completely outclassed in mid.]

[The team collapsed around her, that’s why she lost on Aurelion Sol lol]

“Personally, I think it would be better for Para to play a champion that can hold its own in lane.”

“I agree. But realistically, it’s strange to expect champions like Yone, Ahri, or Azir to win lane against other mages.”

“That’s true, but we hope to see Para, ARK’s ace and the representative mid laner of the LCK, perform well!”

[Aurelion Sol was a bit too much lol]

[She couldn’t even breathe in lane against Orianna.]

[Honestly, Aurelion Sol right now? He’s just a worm. He got nerfed so hard last patch, it doesn’t make sense to pick him.]

“ARK picks Ornn and a standard Azir for the remaining spots, securing range as well.”

“PG picks Orianna mid, and for top… What will it be… Illaoi!”

“The LEC draft pocket! Illaoi this time!?”

“Theoretically, Illaoi is very good against tanks. Gnar? Aatrox? Illaoi just dominates them. However…”

[Illaoi? Seriously?]

[It has been used occasionally in the league.]

[Why is Caster only playing tanks at MSI? He was good at carry champions in the LCK.]

“As many of you know, Illaoi is a classic champion who can easily get ‘topped’.”

[Illaoi doesn’t work in pro play lol]

[But with Ornn and Viego, Illaoi can just 2v1 the top laner.]

[And the bot lane is Lucian Nami lol]

[Looks like Para will have to carry hard.]

“It looks like the draft is finalized. Final thoughts, please… What?”

“No way…”

[What?]

[Why aren’t they switching positions?]

[?????]

“It appears Azir is top and Ornn is mid.”

“Caster’s Azir play in solo queue has been a hot topic in the league, but he’s never used it in a match.”

“It looks like the game will start like this.”

“Here we go! They’ve completely flipped the script against a last-pick Illaoi.”

[Ornn mid, wow.]

[Isn’t Azir difficult?]

[Caster plays it a lot in solo queue.]

---

[ARK]

TOP: Azir
JG: Viego
MID: Ornn
AD: Lucian
SUP: Nami

VS

[PG]

TOP: Illaoi
JG: Wukong
MID: Orianna
AD: Senna
SUP: Tahm Kench

---

“Seo-ha, can you handle the laning phase?”

“I’m fine.”

Ornn mid and Azir top. It might look like a crazy draft to other teams, but it was a prepared strategy.

“I practiced so hard; I would have been bummed if we didn’t get to use it.”

Park Jin-hwan, playing Azir, spoke confidently.

Although he hadn’t had a chance to pick it in regular season matches…

…he had performed well with it in solo queue, and it had a decent win rate in scrims.

“I’ll leave top lane alone and path towards bot after splitting the map.”

The game started. The enemy Orianna looked furious when she saw Ornn mid.

‘She’s pressuring hard from level 1.’

But Doran’s Shield and Second Wind are godsends.

I farmed as much as I could while absorbing the poke.

‘This is crossing the line.’

Just before the Rift Scuttler spawned, both of us hit level 6.

My rune was Unsealed Spellbook, and I had swapped Teleport for Ignite on my back.

In case of a gank from the enemy jungler, I called for our jungler and initiated a trade.

“Our jungler is coming to mid!”

I hit Orianna with a Q for the slow, then ulted and E’d for the knock-up.

Followed by the second part of the ult for another knock-up.

Sensing danger, she tried to escape with her own ult, but…

‘Now!’

I used my W for the unstoppable, ignoring the knock-up from Orianna’s ult, flashed in for an auto-attack, and ignited her.

“Nice first blood! I’m going for the Scuttler.”

“Wow, you killed Orianna, The Great Seo-ha.”

“Top lane is stable too.”

‘They shouldn’t underestimate tanks.’

Ornn, with his passive able to proc multiple times at level 6, can melt even the tankiest champions.